Seemings and Justification

New Essays on Dogmatism and Phenomenal Conservatism

Edited by Chris Tucker

Aims to understand how seemings relate to justification and whether some version of dogmatism or phenomenal conservatism can be sustained.

Because we have seemings about nearly every type of subject matter, this book is of very wide interest in epistemology.

The debate about cognitive penetration, which several chapters address, is largely in infancy.

Seemings and Justification

New Essays on Dogmatism and Phenomenal Conservatism

Edited by Chris Tucker

Description

You believe that there is a book (or a computer screen) in front of you because it seems visually that way. I believe that I ate cereal for breakfast because I seem to remember eating it for breakfast. And we believe that torturing for fun is morally wrong and that 2+2=4 because those claims seem intuitively obvious. In each of these cases, it is natural to think that our beliefs are not only based on a seeming, but also that they are justifiably based on these seemings-at least assuming there is no relevant counterevidence.

These considerations have prompted many to endorse some version of dogmatism or phenomenal conservatism. These views hold that, in the absence of defeaters, a seeming that P provides justification to believe P. The main difference is that dogmatism is restricted to some domain, often perception, and phenomenal conservatism is intended to apply to all seemings. Critics worry that such views run into problems with traditional Bayesianism and that they are too permissive, in part because of their implications regarding cognitive penetration.

The primary aim of this book is to understand how seemings relate to justification and whether some version of dogmatism or phenomenal conservatism can be sustained. In addition to addressing each of these issues, this volume also addresses a wide range of related topics, including intuitions, the nature of perceptual content, access internalism, and the epistemology of testimony and disagreement.

Seemings and Justification

New Essays on Dogmatism and Phenomenal Conservatism

Edited by Chris Tucker

Author Information

Chris Tucker is an assistant professor at The College of William & Mary and has previously taught at the University of Auckland and Stonehill College. He earned his PhD from Purdue University and works primarily in epistemology, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Contributors:

Robert Audi is John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. Michael Bergmann is Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University. Berit Brogaard is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Jessica Brown is Arché Professor of Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews.Earl Conee is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Rochester.Andrew Cullison is Associate Professor of Philosophy at SUNY-Fredonia.Michael DePaul is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame.Michael Huemer is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado-Boulder.William G. Lycan is William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor of Philosophy at UNC-Chapel Hill.Peter Markie is Curators' Teaching Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia.Matthew McGrath is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Missouri-Columbia.James Pryor is Associate Professor of Philosophy at NYU.Matthias Steup is Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University.Michael Tooley is College Professor of Distinction at the University of Colorado-Boulder.Chris Tucker is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the College of William and Mary.

Seemings and Justification

New Essays on Dogmatism and Phenomenal Conservatism

Edited by Chris Tucker

Reviews and Awards

"Those who are interested in these topics should definitely read Tucker's book."--Luca Moretti, Philosophical Quarterly

"Questions concerning the ontological nature and epistemological significance of 'seemings' lie at the cutting edge of much of contemporary epistemology and the answers to the questions framed in this anthology are critical. The book will be an invaluable resource to anyone working in the field."--Richard Fumerton, Department of Philosophy, University of Iowa